Elyria man gets one year for leaving overdosing woman to die next to road

Naomi Caulfield’s mother, left, and aunt Michelle Nehls, listen as 23-year-old Anthony D. Barker is sentenced to 12 months for his role in the death of the 29-year-old Elyria woman. Barker was sentenced to 12 months for dumping Caulfield on the side of Old Fowl Road in Elyria, and disposing of articles of her clothing, after she overdosed.
Eric Bonzar — The Morning Journal

A 24-year-old Elyria man will spend the next 12 months in jail for dumping an overdosing woman on the side of the road to die in April.

Anthony D. Barker pleaded guilty to charges of reckless homicide and tampering with evidence July 20; the day his trial was set to begin in Lorain County Common Pleas Judge Christopher R. Rothgery’s courtroom.

During the hearing, Barker’s attorney, J.D. Tomlinson, said there were no excuses for what happened April 12.

“This was a terrible decision,” Tomlinson said. “I think he panicked. I do believe Anthony wanted to take her to the hospital, (but) I think there were other parties present who thought that would be the wrong move. Irregardless, that was the wrong decision, and I know he regrets it and he’s going to have to regret it the rest of his life.”

Advertisement

Speaking after the plea, but before the sentence was pronounced, Lorain County Assistant Prosecutor Stephanie Malanowski gave a brief synopsis of the night of the crime.

She said Barker and his co-defendants, Gregory Ralston and Christopher L. Williams, were out driving and enticed 29-year-old Naomi M. Caulfield to get into their vehicle with promises of drugs and “other arrangements.”

According to Malanowski, the quartet returned to Barker’s Raleigh Drive home to use heroin and smoke crack cocaine. One of the other two men went into a back room to smoke with Caulfield and returned saying she was overdosing.

Malanowski said Barker saw her overdose and threw water in her face to wake her up, but to no avail.

“He knew she was in bad shape,” she said.

Barker considered calling 911, but chose against it for fear of getting in trouble. They loaded Caulfield into their car and found a secluded area and left her, according to Malanowski.

“Naomi was the mother of four young beautiful children and a best friend to me,” she read. “When you left Naomi alone in the dark and cold to die, you destroyed my life and her 11-year-old son emotionally.”

Barker was barely audible as he spoke before the sentence was handed down.

“I regret my decision,” he said. “I knew it wasn’t the right thing to do, but I did it anyway.”

Caulfield’s body was found in the early morning of April 12 by a woman walking her dog on Old Fowl Road. She was still alive when she was dumped the night before, according to a release at the time.